


Self Defense

by ReginaNocis



Series: Obscure Love [39]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Pepper Potts, F/F, Men are Assholes, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 22:33:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11240658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReginaNocis/pseuds/ReginaNocis
Summary: “You are not made to be a warrior,” Sif reprimanded. Pepper smiled against her shoulder, finally completely relaxed in a way that only being with Sif could do.“Situation turns the best of us into warriors as needed,” she counters. “That's why I've been learning to defend myself.”Five times that Pepper kicked ass, and one time she didn't have to.





	Self Defense

1

The first time it happened, Pepper was not prepared. She was very used to Tony's antics, because flirting was a part of his personality. He'd never meant anything by it, as was obvious by his current relationship with Dr. Banner. Pepper was used to walking into his lab and hearing his usual greeting (always some form of innuendo, usually about what she _should_ be there for). She was not used to walking into his lab and hearing his brand new assistant (male this time) making an innuendo that was far from innocent.

“Hey there sexy, didn't realize the interns were this hot,” he said, smirking at her. “I'm off at six, we should grab a drink. If you're really lucky, you'll get to see my place.”

Everyone within earshot froze. This man was new, one that Pepper had not chosen. He apparently didn't realize who she was, or that he was so beyond fired at that moment. He also didn't seem to notice Tony Stark walking up behind him looking murderous, or Bruce Banner doing some kind of breathing exercise to calm himself back down. Pepper shook her head minutely at Tony and turned her full attention to the idiot in front of her. Said idiot couldn't even look her in the eyes, too busy staring at her figure.

“What's your name?” she asked calmly, keeping her expression friendly.

“Aaron,” the idiot told her, still smirking as he finally looked up at her face.

“Do you know mine?” she asked. He shook his head, his expression making it clear that he didn't care. He was about to care very much. “My name is Pepper Potts. I'm the CEO of Stark Industries, your boss. Or rather, your former boss. If I were you, I wouldn't list anyone here as a contact for future employers, as you will most definitely not get any good referrals. Perhaps you should take the time to learn who a woman is before you hit on her so grotesquely.”

“W-what?” Aaron gasped, starting to look angry. “You can't do that!”

“I think you'll find she can,” Tony said from behind him, still looking murderous. Bruce laid a hand on his arm, calm enough to run interference. Aaron was finally starting to look worried, like he was just realizing what could happen. “And if she hadn't, I would have. Pepper is worth more than you could ever imagine. Get out of here. I don't ever want to see your face again.”

Aaron was gone before Pepper could even blink, and Tony was watching her with worried eyes. She gave him a small smile, already brushing off the encounter. “All in a day's work, right?” she asked lightly, smiling wider when he relaxed. “Maybe let me handle the new hires from now on.”

“Yeah, that's all yours. Clearly I'm a bad judge of character,” Tony agreed, already moving back to what he'd been working on.

“Oh, I'm sure he's been perfectly respectful to you,” Pepper assured him. “Your lab is comprised entirely of men, Tony. I'm probably the first woman he's encountered since starting here, which is a good thing. I know how to handle it. Can you imagine what would have happened if he'd been in Dr. Foster's lab?”

“Jane wouldn't even notice,” Tony shrugged.

“I'm sure she wouldn't, but Ms. Lewis certainly would,” Pepper pointed out. Tony grinned, understanding immediately.

“That would have been fun to watch,” he replied. She nodded, allowing herself a moment to picture it before getting on to what she'd actually gone down there to do. She didn't think of Aaron again for several weeks, not worried about any repercussions.

  
  


2

The second time it happened, she still wasn't expecting it. She was walking to the coffee shop down the street from the tower, because Tony had banned all ground coffee the night before, and she'd told Happy that she'd be okay on her own. It was only a block away, after all.

The coffee shop was pretty much empty. The man behind the counter appeared to be college aged, and there were two teenagers, a boy and a girl, typing in the corner with their drinks. She ordered her coffee (and one for Tony), then stepped to the side to let the next person order. Of course, the next person had a gun.

Things happened very quickly. “Everyone get your hands where I can see them!” he shouted, then fired the gun into the ceiling, though everyone was already looking at him. Pepper almost rolled her eyes at the dramatics, remembering at the last minute that she should probably at least pretend to be scared.

“I want all of your money,” the man ordered, holding out a bag to the guy behind the counter. Pepper felt bad for him, knowing he'd probably never been in any situation nearly this stressful. Then again, if he was a college student, his finals were probably _at least_ this bad for his health. She remembered her college years well enough to know that.

The man turned his attention to the rest of the shop while the guy behind the counter shoved money into the bag. The boy and girl in the corner didn't seem to interest him, but as soon as his eyes landed on her she knew she'd be his target. She was right.

“Well hello there,” he smirked. She sighed, knowing exactly what would be coming next. “What do you say, when I'm done here, to going back to my place? We could have... fun.” He stepped right into her space, running a finger down her cheek.

She knew her face must be showing just how disgusted she felt when she saw his eyes darken in rage. She had about ten seconds to act before he'd hit her, so she did the only thing she could think of. She kneed him in the groin as hard as she could, shoving him away as soon as she made contact. He went down immediately, dropping the gun which she immediately picked up and aimed at him.

“Somebody call the cops. I'll keep him down,” she ordered, brushing her hair behind her ears with one hand while holding the gun steady with the other.

“I already did,” the girl in the corner assured her. “That guy is a total idiot.”

“I very much agree,” Pepper said calmly, almost smiling.

“How did you learn how to do that?” the boy asked, looking amazed. “You're my new hero.” Pepper laughed.

“I live in the same building as Tony Stark and half of the Avengers. I've picked up a few things over the years,” she replied.

“Who are you?” the man behind the counter asked.

“My name is Pepper Potts,” she told them, grinning at their wide eyes. “Tell you what, I know someone who would be happy to teach you a few moves if you'd like.”

“That would be so awesome!” the first boy exclaimed. “I'm Sam Alexander, and this is Kamela Khan.”

“It's lovely to meet you,” Pepper told them, her attention back on the man who was starting to look less in pain. “You better stay down,” she warned him. By the time the cops had shown up, Pepper had already called Happy and had him come down to show the kids some moves while they waited. She got both of their numbers before heading back to the tower.

  
  


3

By the third time, Pepper was ready. Thor had brought his Asgardian friends with him when he'd come to visit, and they were staying in the tower so that Thor could be close to Jane. Pepper met them all formally the first day, and then ran into them occasionally during the next few days while she was working. She ran into Sif and Hogun the most, but Fandral seemed to show up at the worst possible times.

“Tony, I need you to sign these so I can give your employees the raises you promised,” she said for the third time, setting the paper down on top of his Starkpad. He gave her a dirty look but complied, earning a fond smile from Bruce. Fandral had observed from the corner silently, making no move to interact until she had the paper back.

“Is it not a woman's place to take the orders and not give them?” he asked. She only let it go because he looked genuinely curious, and maybe things were very different on Asgard.

“Here on Midgard, men and women are equal. We can give orders as well as we receive them,” she replied, ignoring Tony's frown. “It would be a good idea to remember that while you're here.”

“Of course. I wouldn't wish to anger the locals,” he agreed with a smile that she absolutely didn't like. It was the same smile Tony got when he was humoring her about something.

Two days had gone by before she ran into him again, this time in the kitchen. Tony had lifted his ground coffee ban the moment she'd gotten back to the tower after the man had attacked her, and she was going to get a cup so she could keep working past when she usually would. Fandral was staring at the kitchen appliances, while Steve did the crossword puzzle at the table. She smiled in greeting to both of them before starting the coffee maker.

“Ah, finally, a woman! I demand a meal worthy of an Asgardian,” Fandral announced loudly, smirking at her the same way most other men did. This time she didn't even bother hiding her eye roll, which made Steve smile and look back at his crossword. At least _he_ didn't doubt she could take care of herself.

“I would be more than happy to show you how to use any of these appliances, but I don't have time to cook for myself much less you,” she replied. Fandral frowned at her and opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. “If the next words out of your mouth were going to be anything about a woman's place being in the kitchen, I would like to remind you of our conversation earlier this week. Though, the more I think about it, I'm fairly certain it is the same on Asgard. Lady Sif is far from a servant, and Thor speaks of his mother as though she is as much a ruler as Odin. I think you just believe that Midgardian women are weak, and I'll be happy to show you how untrue that is.”

“I would never assume-” Fandral started, but Pepper shook her head to stop him.

“But you did, didn't you? Just because I choose not to fight, does not make me any less of an adversary than anyone else in this tower. This tower, which is as much mine as it is Tony. You would do well to remember that. Now, did you want to learn how to use the oven, or are we done here?” she asked, voice steady.

“I... no, we are done,” Fandral said quietly, looking down. Pepper poured herself a mug of coffee and left the kitchen before he could make any more insulting comments. 

“That was quite impressive,” Sif told her, jogging slightly to catch up. “I could hear you from the next room, though I truly did not mean to eavesdrop.”

“It's alright. I'm just tired of men,” Pepper admitted. “He's the third one this month to make comments like that, and I'm just sick of it. I've never thought of myself as a feminist, but this is ridiculous.”

“I am unsure what a feminist is, but you are a great advocate for the female race of any culture,” Sif assured her. “I have never seen Fandral so speechless. Usually he has no trouble finding women to bed.”

“Well, he's looking in the wrong place. Even if I wasn't sick of the comments, I don't find men appealing,” Pepper told her, smiling slightly.

“On this, we can agree,” Sif nodded. “Are you free this evening? I have been told there are many things to see in this city, and I've only a few days left to enjoy it.”

“I would be more than happy to take you out tonight,” Pepper grinned. “I'll pick you up on your floor at seven.

  
  


4

When Aaron resurfaced, Pepper had forgotten his name. She'd deleted him from Stark Industries computers, and then forgotten all about him. She was pretty sure that Tony forgot about him as soon as she'd left the lab that day. Bruce had probably forgotten within a few days of it happening. Aaron, however, did not forget her.

She'd started taking Happy with her whenever she left the tower, but she didn't think it was necessary to drag him along on her weekend with Sif, since the woman was an actual Asgardian warrior. It hadn't occurred to her that since she was _meeting_ Sif there, she wouldn't be protected on the trip to or from the airport. She was too busy looking forward to the time away from work, time that she'd get to spend with the woman she was coming to love.

The flight itself wasn't bad. Tony's jet had been commandeered by Clint and Natasha for the weekend, so she'd settled for first class (as if that was such a hardship- her family was going to think she'd become a snob if she started comparing first class to the jet). She didn't have a single problem until she caught a cab at the airport to take her to her hotel. She didn't know the area, but she was pretty sure taking an alley wasn't going to get her to a fancy hotel.

"I'm pretty sure we're going the wrong way," she commented, slipping her hand into her purse to press the emergency button that Tony had so nicely installed into her phone.

"I'm pretty sure you should keep your mouth shut if you don't want to lose it," the man snapped. His voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't place where she knew him from.

"Have we met?" she asked, frowning.

"Have we- are you fucking kidding me?" the man demanded, slamming on the brakes. "You don't even remember?"

"I recognize your voice, if that means anything. We must have met through work?" she asked, trying to keep him talking while help was on it's way.

"Yeah, you could say that. You got me fired," the man snapped, turning to glare at her.

"Oh, you were the sexist pig!" she exclaimed. "Adam, right?"

"Aaron!" the man shouted, looking even angrier. "It was just a few months ago! How could you not remember?"

"Oh sweetie, you think you're the only misogynist pig I've run into in the last few months? I almost feel bad for you," she said, trying not to smile. "Two months ago, a man thought it was a good idea to hit on me while holding up my favorite coffee shop. And last month, an Asgardian hit on me until I threatened him with bodily harm to get him to back off. You're nothing special, just one more reason I have no faith in men."

"How the hell can you be so calm? I've got you trapped in an alley! I could do anything to you!" Aaron pointed out.

"No you couldn't. You and I both know that if you try anything, I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. And as if that's not enough, you didn't take away my purse. Did you think I wouldn't send for help the second I realized you were taking me anywhere other than my hotel?" she replied calmly. Aaron got visibly paler, suddenly seeming to understand the situation he'd gotten himself into.

"You didn't," he said quietly.

"I did. But I'd be more than happy to call Mr. Stark and let him know that I've handled it if you drop me off at my hotel and promise to leave innocent women alone from now on," she told him. He seemed to think about it for a minute before nodding and pulling back out of the alley. They stopped in front of her hotel less than five minutes later and she smiled. "Good choice."

"Whatever. Just call your stupid Avenger boyfriend and get him off my ass," Aaron snapped, taking off as soon as she'd closed the car door. She rolled her eyes to herself and pulled out her phone.

"Tony? I handled it myself. It was just an idiot with a complex, not unlike you. No, I'm fine. I'm even at my hotel now. I'll be home in a week, you know that. Tell Bruce to check your notes for you. Don't make Darcy chase you out of the lab every night, either. And for god's sake, don't blow anything up!" she hung up, satisfied that everything was okay at home. Sometimes she loved being a woman.

  
  


  
  


5

Admittedly, after the last time she'd left the tower by herself and run into trouble, she should have learned her lesson. But really, was it wrong of her to assume that she wouldn't need security for a girl's night with Natasha, Darcy, Maria, and Jane? Each of those women (possibly excluding Jane, who always had Thor whenever there was danger) could take care of themselves, and she felt pretty good about her abilities as well.

They made it to the club with no difficulties, and the bouncer led them straight to the VIP section that Tony had so helpfully rented out for them. Darcy immediately went for the dance floor, while Natasha went to grab drinks. It was two hours (and three margaritas) later that Pepper allowed herself to be led out to the dance floor, where the trouble started.

The man who chose to dance with her seemed nice enough, but he was very touchy. He was lucky that Sif was in Asgard and not with them, or he wouldn't have hands after the second time he'd grabbed her ass. As it was, she slapped him and moved on to dance with Maria and Natasha, not willing to let assholes ruin her evening. They all deserved a fun night out, what with all of the work they'd been doing lately.

It was ridiculously late when Jane and Darcy departed, Jane claiming that science waited for no woman (and Darcy rolling her eyes and muttering about drunk science being a bad idea). Pepper waited a few more minutes before informing Maria and Natasha that she was going home as well. Both offered to escort her, but she waved them off and told them not to terrify whoever they picked up.

Summer in New York was hot, but not as hot as it had been in previous years. Pepper didn't see a cab outside of the club, and she wasn't far from the tower, so she chose to walk. She felt eyes on her almost immediately, but she was just drunk enough to think that she was being paranoid and ignored it. She made it nearly to her front door before disaster struck.

She had a sense of deja vu as the man who had been dancing with her at the club grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the alley. It hurt, but not nearly as badly as the things she was planning on doing to him. She would _never_ allow herself to be a victim.

“There you are, pretty lady. What say we dance again?” the man leered, looking her over with heavy emphasis on her chest. The second he reached for her top button, she struck. Her knee struck him directly in the groin, and she grabbed his wrist and twisted, planting her feet and using her weight to throw him. He landed on his back, staring up at her in pain and confusion.

“Next time you feel the need to force a woman, remember this. We're not defenseless and weak,” she snapped, straightening her shirt. He whimpered pitifully, and she left him laying there, asking JARVIS to call the police for her. Tony was waiting for her in front of her apartment door, obviously very worried and she rolled her eyes.

“After all of the times I've come home perfectly fine, why are you worried now?” she asked in place of a greeting, earning herself a smile.

“Old habits die hard?” he offered sheepishly, and she relaxed, letting him hug her. “Stop getting into fights and I won't have to worry.”

“Just wait until Sif finds out,” she reminded him. “I never know if she'll be worried, disappointed at missing a fight, or proud of me for kicking ass.”

“Probably all of the above,” Tony replied flippantly, already moving for the elevator. “I should make you your own suit.”

“No, you should not,” Pepper informed him, completely serious.

“You're no fun anymore,” he pouted, but he was exaggerating it so she'd know he was joking. She rolled her eyes again and waved him off, leaning against her door when he was gone. She knew Sif would be there within the hour, because Heimdall had taken to informing her when anything remotely stressful happened and she'd decided that she needed to be there to help her girlfriend (or whatever they called it in Asgard) calm back down.

As usual, she wasn't far off. She'd only been waiting for around twenty minutes before the elevator door opened and Sif hurried out looking worried. She relaxed as soon as she saw Pepper waiting, and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“You are not made to be a warrior,” she reprimanded. Pepper smiled against her shoulder, finally completely relaxed in a way that only Sif could manage.

“Situation turns the best of us into warriors as needed,” she counters. “That's why I've been learning to defend myself.”

“I wish you didn't need to. You should return to Asgard with me and become the proper Lady you deserve to be. You would never need to worry again,” Sif offered for the billionth time, and Pepper sighed. The thought had always been tempting, but not one that was practical.

“I'm needed here,” she reminded Sif. “They wouldn't last a day without me. But someday, I will go with you.”

“Is that a promise?” Sif asked, pulling back to meet her eyes. She seemed satisfied with what she saw, but still waited for Pepper to answer.

“Yes, it's a promise,” Pepper assured her, smiling as Sif pulled her into a sweet kiss. Men could be assholes, but Pepper would always come out on top when she had this to look forward to.

  
  


+1

The Avengers were called out for the usual attack, this time bright green aliens with guns that shot acid goo. Pepper invited Jane and Darcy up to her apartment to watch the news coverage so that none of them had to be alone, but JARVIS had informed her that the two had taken the jet to Norway just a few hours previously. So, instead of turning the news on to watch alone, she took the elevator up to her office to get some work done.

She was halfway through the stack of urgent paperwork that she'd been ignoring earlier in the day when she heard the elevator open. Assuming that it was either Tony coming to complain or Sif coming to drag her to bed, she didn't even look up when the person entered the room. She didn't bother to look up until she felt the needle in her neck, and even then it was to see the face of a man that she barely recognized. His name popped into her mind just as unconsciousness claimed her, and she whispered it without thinking. “Aaron?”

She woke up in a warehouse, of all places, tied to a chair that was barely still standing. It took her a moment to remember what had happened, but she was seething when she did. She was torn between breaking the chair over his head or letting someone else take care of it. Every time she had tried to talk sense into him, he'd ignored her. Someone else could try this time. She was privately hoping it would be Sif, because her girlfriend had a special way of dealing with misogyny.

“You're awake, good. I was starting to get bored,” Aaron sneered from the doorway. “You remembered my name this time.”

“Well, when you kidnapped me, I had to write up a report. I tend to remember those better than some asshole intern introducing himself,” she snapped, glaring at him. “The sad thing is that you really believe you've won whatever sick game you've decided we're playing.”

“I _have_ won. Nobody knows where you are. I can do whatever I want, and nobody can stop me. You can't get free, I checked,” he gloated, moving closer. The urge to hurt him intensified, and she was about to give in and attack when she heard the sounds of wood shattering in the near distance. “What is that?”

“That would be either my girlfriend or the Avengers,” Pepper told him, relaxing back into her chair. “And you'd best hope it's not my girlfriend, because I'm not sure you'd survive.”

“You're bluffing,” Aaron said, but he didn't sound sure. He was backing away from the door, but it put him close enough that she could kick. He was on the ground in pain by the time Sif knocked the door down, with Tony not far behind her.

“Oh look, it's both,” Pepper smiled. “I did warn you.” Aaron didn't say anything, between the pain and the shock of seeing a lot of angry people looming over him.

“That's the idiot who used to work for me,” Tony stated, confused. “The same one who kidnapped you before?”

“Yes,” Pepper admitted. “He seems to cause a lot of trouble. I think I want to press charges this time. He broke into my home and drugged me.”

“Weren't you in your office? I could have sworn JARVIS said...” Tony trailed off, frowning. Pepper rolled her eyes fondly.

“I was in the tower, which is where I live. And that's not the point. Somebody get me out of this chair so I can leave and not see whatever happens before he gets arrested. I'd rather not know,” she said calmly, keeping herself still while Clint immediately moved forward to untie her and lead her out.

Two hours later, she was in Sif's arms as her girlfriend cursed all men and held her tightly as if she'd disappear. “Are you certain I couldn't persuade you to join me in Asgard?” she asked again, sadly. Pepper actually stopped to think about it this time.

“I couldn't promise that I would stay,” she warned after a few seconds of thought, knowing that it was a bad idea and not caring. “Stark Industries won't run without me for very long.”

Sif's eyes widened, staring at her in shock. “You mean you would consider?” Pepper nodded, biting her lips at the look of pure joy Sif was giving her.

“For a vacation, or a visit. I could visit pretty often, probably. I don't think I could live there, and certainly not full time, but I have always wanted to see where you live,” Pepper admitted.

“It is more than I ever expected,” Sif admitted, which made Pepper feel bad. Sif seemed to realize, and hurried to reassure her. “I know that you are important here. I had never hoped to steal you away truly. I did not realize you would want to get away, even briefly.”

“Everyone needs a break sometimes, and I can't think of a better way to spend my time than on Asgard with you,” Pepper told her quietly, and then pulled her into a sweet kiss. “Just let me tell Tony and pack a bag, and we can go.”

“Tonight?” Sif asked, sounding surprised all over again.

“Is that not what you want?” Pepper asked, worried that she was moving too quickly. Sif immediately shook her head, pulling her close again.

“Of course it is what I want. You are just full of surprises tonight. You scared me, when Heimdall told me you had been abducted again... I admit to being afraid. I am scared of losing you,” she told Pepper, stroking her hair.

“You won't ever lose me. No man is going to get the best of me. I've made sure I'm prepared for any situation. Between you and Natasha, I've learned enough self defense to never have to worry again,” she replied. “But I appreciate your concern.”

“You should never have to use that self defense,” Sif said quietly. “All should know not to mess with you.”

“Eventually they will,” Pepper assured her. “I just have to keep saving myself until they understand. It'll make the news enough times that the idiots will know not to bother.”

“How do you know it will make your news?” Sif asked skeptically. Pepper smiled.

“This is the only good part of being 'famous' and rich. Usually the media is horrible, but when I'm attacked and have to defend myself, they're right there to show the world why that's a bad idea,” she replied. “Tony's made sure that it's on every news station.”

“He is very wise,” Sif nodded.

“Don't let him hear you say that. He's got a big enough head,” Pepper told her with a grimace. “Fueling that ego is a bad idea.”

“He is much like Fandral, is he not?” Sif asked, sounding amused.

“Yes, but not nearly as much of a misogynist anymore. I've taught him well,” she replied with a smile. “We should get back to the tower so I can pack.”

They'd made it a few streets over before a couple of men cut them off to flirt. It wouldn't have been bad, except the way they were talking made it seem like they wouldn't accept no as an answer. Sif and Pepper glanced at each other, grim determination in their expressions. They'd chosen the wrong targets, and they wouldn't soon forget it. There is no rest for a woman.

 


End file.
